Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-01-13

the hilly land is much more injured bJ
trapping than more level lands An
other point in favor of sheep husbandry
is that they will live on pasture month
longer in the fall and can be tprned t.
6rass 4 month sooner In the spring than
other stock; besides the labor of attend
ing sheep is lighter than the labor OF
attending other animals. This means
more time to read bonks aud papers and
keeps the farmer abreast OF the times
This means more intelligence among the
farmers. This is rhe greatest aid agri'
| culture uow needs. and when more gen.
eral Intelligence prevails. woe tn menop'
0lies, frauds and unworthy politicians
and taitbless lawmakers.
The labor and expense OF fencing, tor
Is much less. which is no unimpurtant
item to the Ohio farmer.
Sheep+husbandry renders the most
important aid to agriculture by enrich
| ing the soil. The most casual observer
can from the general appearance, dis
| tiDguish the WeOl'prO ucing farms
from the grain or other stock producing
farms. This was noticed long ago by
Spaniards, who called the sheep 'the an
imal With the golden hoof, that turned
all it touched into gold" Lost fertility
can be restored and present fertility re-
| tanned and increased in no way so east.
ly or cheaply or rapidly rs by having
sheep. In summer they deposit their
manure in the highest grounds exactly
in the place most needed, and in torn
TO be easily appropriated by plants an
grasses. They masticate and digest
their food so perfectly. that no weed or
other seed will grow after passing
through their insesEines. Their void,
ings are very rich in fertilizing elements.
| Here chemistry must speak. The urine
contains urea q substance rich in nitro
gen and salts. rich in phUsphoric acids.
The drug contains 6S per cent. water,
19 8 per cent animal and vegetable mat
ter, 17.7 per cent saline matter. The or
Ranic matter is so rich in nitrogen, the
valuable element in super phosphate..
that SO parts of the manure is equal TO
54 parts OF horse manure, SO of pig, 125
cow and 100 parts of mixed barnyard
manure. 1t fermeDts very readily and
must either be kept solidly packed so as
to exclude air or be turned frequently
when beaped In piles. There is another
part of this discussion that must not be
passed over, and it would be asking too
much of wool grower. to ask him to
pass 1t over in silence. l, of course.
refer TO the Tariff as it affects the wool
growing. This industry depends for its
prosperity and even its existence on
wise laws. Without wise. just, equal
tariff on imported wool, the American
wool grower cannot compete with the
barbarous and semi. arbarous nations of
lhe world Railroads and sub marine
lelegrapbs and ocean transportation
have become 50 rapid and cheap, that
the products of one can be laid down in
another, now incredibly cheap and
quick. You here today are nearer Liy
erpool and London than your fathers
were fifty years ago to New York--you
are nearer China today than YOUR faith
ers were 6tty years ago to hicagO For
instauc-. a steamer can leave New York
,oaded with -four. grain and mercnan.
Use, go 10 South American port. re-
loaded with wool aud return, and lay
down the wool as the door of New
England Danufactory, all in less than
three weeks, the wool having come AS
ballast and for a nominal sum.-This
wool is growing in the tropical aud semi
tropical climates of South America and
Australia where they have no winter
and consequently do not have to provide
winter feed and is grown without care.
The capital needed is small and the IL
bore the rudest and cheapest kind
Not thus does the American wool-grow-
oh F.in hi 10 hne
capital invested in lands and buildings
With high rate of interest. He has
climate that compels six months feed
ing and constant care and the labor en-
ployed costs double and treble as much
as in South America or Australia. Tax
As there are only nominal where they
exist At all and here our highest civil
ization requires a large tax to support
our schools aud asylums, and to run the
machinery Of government. Should we
who have by our taxes created these
markets, have no advantage in them
over those who have thus contributed.
Most persons will agree that they should
pay an amount equal TO the difference 10
the COST of labor between this and other
countries. This. and this only, is ad
mittiDg each to the same markets on an
equality.
The Thirty eighth Congress recogniz-
ed this plain principle OF equity, and
gave to us the tariff Of 1867. 1t Was not
all it should oe, but Was step in the
right direction, and under this law sheep
husbaudry pruspered as never before.
Clothing annually became cheaper and
better, and mad not the un wise action of
the tariff commission iDtervened we
would ere this have been able to supply
the American manufacturer with all the
wool he needed, and thus saved a large
annual outlay of gold and beenindepend
eDt of other nations in peace and war.
Let US see bow much gold We have thus
sent out this year.
Here the speaker presented table
showing That in ten months of 1885 there
was imported an excess of 21,0O0.OOO
pounds OF wool over the entire year of
1885, aud increased value of $12,O00OOO
ID ten months over the whole year of
1SS5.-ED.
But other counsels prevailed, and the
tariff commission. "In obedience to the
conservative sentiment of the country.
as they said, proposed to cut down the
tariff 20 per cent. on an average all
through the list, and really cut 2S 7 10
per cent. off the woolgrower, and IN
creased the duty on some articles. and
on average cut down the tariff about
per cent on the entire list.
The discrimination is the more 10 ark
ed frou the fact that wool is the only
product of the farmer of the North that
needs any protection, though possibly
Indi4, with her increasing production of
wheat, may soon enter as a competitor.
II Is strange, indeed, to recollect that 4s
per cent of the population is engaged in
agriculture. and rs per cent of the total
taxes are paid by farmers, and 80 few
laws are passed to protect and foster
agriculture. A case in point is the Dow
law. which is an attempt to make the
aalnnn MI q IF of tho thnu o.a,